Mater, 42, will serve probation after pleading guilty to destroying an audio recording of conversations he had with a suspect who later committed suicide in jail.

Mater had been wearing a police-issued digital recorder during his interaction with Dean Gochenour, 52, of Fullerton, whom he had pulled over about 9:45 p.m. on April 14, 2011, on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Hours later, Gochenour was found hanging in his jail cell.

Mater smashed the audio recording device used during his interaction with Gochenour, which may have contained evidence relevant to the death investigation.